The Droneologisthttp://www.thedroneologist.com
Wed, 17 Jan 2018 10:42:35 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.22Volocopters: Future Autonomous Air Travelhttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2018/01/volocopter-future-autonomous-air-travel/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2018/01/volocopter-future-autonomous-air-travel/#commentsWed, 17 Jan 2018 10:42:35 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1703At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, the much-awaited air autonomous transport of the future created by the German air taxi company, Volocopter, made its grand […]

]]>At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, the much-awaited air autonomous transport of the future created by the German air taxi company, Volocopter, made its grand entrance during Intel’s keynote address when it flew across the stage briefly.

The Volocopter VC200

The Volocopter VC200– the widely known world’s first flying taxi — is envisioned to change the way people in megacities travel in the future.

Volocopter VC200 is the result of a creative collaboration between the 2 founders: Alexander Zosel, Chief Innovation Officer, and Stephan Wolf, Chief Software Advisor, whose partnership goes way back in their teens when they were building skateboard halfpipes. They are backed up by a strong technical team of engineers as well as by various investors who believe in their objective “tomake every human’s dream of flying come true and to help modern cities resolve their increasing mobility issues.”

Stephan Wolf introduced to Alexander Zosel the idea of bringing drone technology to a higher level by coming up with an autonomous mode of transport that can carry humans. Zosel said in one of their interviews that he (Wolf), didn’t know how a Volocopter could be used [in practical terms], but it took me just a few hours to come up with a vision for the company – and how we could change mobility in cities around the world with autonomous air taxis,” as reported by Redbull.

So Volocopter has come a long way from that daring dream – which they had also kept hidden for a time for fear “people wouldn’t take us seriously,” to reality, and continues to bring hope that it will shape the future of individual mobility, and specifically autonomous air travel, which will surely bring a big change to the aviation industry.

To quote the company’s vision: “to make every human being’s dream of flying come true and help modern cities resolve increasing mobility issues.”

Features

The Volocopter VC200 is the later version of the company’s single-place experimental electric multirotor helicopter, a takeoff from the first series, E-volo VC1. Like a drone, it is designed to be autonomous or, as its website says, it can be operated with a joystick and an assistive systems for support.

Other features of the Volocopter include:

Safety – it is built in compliance with strict German and international safety standards

State-of-the-art Acoustics – giving it a pleasant, quiet ride

Electric – the Volocopter runs on 100% electric

German Engineering Quality, known for its perfection, safety, and reliability

The Volocopter VC20, a cross between a drone and a car, and created as an alternative innovation to “urban mobility” is still a prototype, for another newer and more polished version has followed it — the Volocopter 2X, and which is reported to be company’s first true production vehicle. Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Among its features are:

Flight time of 30 minutes

Maximum range of 17 miles

The future of Volocopters is optimistically bright for the creators, especially with partners such as Intel to make their vision a feasible reality. Yet

The future of Volocopters is optimistically bright for the creators, especially with partners such as Intel to make their vision a feasible reality. Yet there are still hurdles to leap such as the kind of public reception to this kind of point-to-point autonomous travel. As what Autoweek mentioned in an article last year, there are fewer obstacles in the air, but they including serious ones like power lines, and even the most modern of helicopters still require a lot of skilled human decision-making —

Even then, it is clear how far drone technology has come to inspire these so-called small vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2018/01/volocopter-future-autonomous-air-travel/feed/0Demystifying Military Droneshttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/05/demystifying-military-drones/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/05/demystifying-military-drones/#commentsTue, 09 May 2017 08:02:19 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1697These days, military drones are much in the news and getting everyone’s attention. Just recently, a video that seemed to have been taken by a military drone was accidentally leaked, […]

]]>These days, military drones are much in the news and getting everyone’s attention. Just recently, a video that seemed to have been taken by a military drone was accidentally leaked, according to reports.

You might record in a way that allows the identification of a person or their actions. This could count as using a drone for surveillance purposes. If you are using a drone to record a general area and you capture footage of an individual, you might be liable due to the privacy law. Particularly, if you are recording with enough detail for that person to be recognizable.

Another report talks of how the military would counter unwanted drones in restricted areas.

The U.S. military and federal agencies are coordinating efforts to protect airports and other critical sites from the threat posed by rogue unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Executives with the Federal Aviation Administration described a multi-pronged approach during a May 3 meeting of the agency’s Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). – Read more at:

Now with threats of war coming from North Korea, the US government has sent military drones over to South Korea in preparation.

THE US has mobilised a fleet of missile capable drones to blitz North Korea amid warnings it is running out of bombs to hit ISIS. The Grey Eagle drones are designed to carry Hellfire missiles and have reportedly been deployed in South Korea as war looms with the North after Kim Jong-un’s third missile test fire this month. -Read more at:

The world is threatened with terrorism and the most wanted terrorist groups, the ISIS is mastering the use of drones. Hence,

The battle for Mosul has been a wakeup call for drone defense. In late 2015 it emerged that ISIS had developed the capability to deliver lethal payloads using modified commercial drones, but in Mosul the attacks reached a new pitch in February with dozens of attacks a day by drones dropping grenades.- Read more:

So what are military drones, and what do they really do? Here is a brief excerpt:

Drones are used in situations where manned flight is considered too risky or difficult. They provide troops with a 24-hour “eye in the sky”, seven days a week. Each aircraft can stay aloft for up to 17 hours at a time, loitering over an area and sending back real-time imagery of activities on the ground. Those used by the United States Air Force and Royal Air Force range from small intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance craft, some light enough to be launched by hand, to medium-sized armed drones and large spy planes.

As of January 2014, the U.S. military operates a large number of unmanned aerial systems (UAVs or Unmanned Air Vehicles): 7,362 RQ-11 Ravens; 990 AeroVironment Wasp IIIs; 1,137 AeroVironment RQ-20 Pumas; and 306 RQ-16 T-Hawk small UAS systems and 246 Predators and MQ-1C Grey Eagles; 126 MQ-9 Reapers; 491 RQ-7 Shadows; and 33 RQ-4 Global Hawk large systems. – Read more here:

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]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/05/demystifying-military-drones/feed/0Farmers Warming Up to Droneshttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/farmers-warming-up-to-drones/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/farmers-warming-up-to-drones/#commentsTue, 25 Apr 2017 11:53:43 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1690 Taking cue from realtors who use drones to get more comprehensive shots of properties, more farmers in the U.S. are said to be following suit. A new poll […]

Taking cue from realtors who use drones to get more comprehensive shots of properties, more farmers in the U.S. are said to be following suit.

A new poll finds 21 percent of farmers plan to operate a drone this year. The poll found 21 percent of farmers will operate the drone themselves, while another 12 percent of farmers indicated they would opt for a third-party entity to fly drones. – Read more at:

And why not? As farmers from other parts of the world realize, there are a number of ways drones can be useful in agriculture, such as in soil and field analysis.

Drones can be instrumental at the start of the crop cycle. They produce precise 3-D maps for early soil analysis, useful in planning seed planting patterns. After planting, drone-driven soil analysis provides data for irrigation and nitrogen-level management. - Read more at:

When it comes to improving irrigation, drones equipped with multispectral, hyperspectral, and thermal sensing technology are proving to be just as revolutionary. These drones can span the width and breadth of enormous fields to collect crop moisture data, and then sound the alarm whenever critically dry areas are identified. - Read more at:

However, there can also be challenges to using drones in the farm, and among these is how to use all the information that can be gathered. Despite these though, drones are farmers’ new best friends, just as they are for those involved in drone photography.

Besides, aside from the data that can be collected by drones, using drones in farms is cost-efficient. “The other component is cost. They’re finding that they can save that efficiencies and cost can be saved when using drones. You don’t have to wait for a pilot to come out, wait for a plane or wait for a satellite to come over a field. You can just take your drone out and fly your mission. When it’s necessary you can make that decision,” Kidwell said. – Read more at:

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]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/farmers-warming-up-to-drones/feed/02 Signs Popularity of Drones Continues to Soarhttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/2-signs-popularity-of-drones-continues-to-soar/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/2-signs-popularity-of-drones-continues-to-soar/#commentsTue, 11 Apr 2017 08:20:54 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1682Two signs that drones are still in demand and that their popularity continues to soar. Image Source First, sales of drones are still on the upsurge, higher than sales […]

First, sales of drones are still on the upsurge, higher than sales of last year.

U.S. drone sales have more than doubled between February 2016 and February 2017, according to new data released today from NPD group. Customers may shy away from a high price tag. In the first two months of 2017, drones that cost over $300 accounted for less than half — 40 percent — of units sold. - Read more at:

Then there are drone events here and there, among the recent ones was the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-in and Expo.

On the sixth and final day of Sun ’n Fun International Fly-in and Expo, it was perhaps fitting to consider the future of aviation — the unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone. Perhaps that future has already arrived. “There are more FAA registered drones in this country than aircraft,” said Tony Reynolds, a Sun ’n Fun volunteer who showed more than 500 people how to operate the small flying vehicles at the Drone Zone, a large tent used for the demonstrations so that they didn’t interfere with the traditional aircraft buzzing overhead.- Read more at:

At the same time though, challenges still continue to hound the industry, notably the mishandling of drones by their operators. And so drone mishaps or near encounters with commercial aircraft are still of grave concern.

Aviation authorities are investigating claims a drone came dangerously close to a Singapore Airlines plane as it flew above the Swan River. The airline had been holding a competition for the best photo of the special Perth flyover, but there are concerns some people went too far. - Read more at:

Then there is the growing threat of consumer drones being utilized by terrorists.

Over the last six months, ISIS has increased its use of weaponized and surveillance drones against Iraqi and U.S. forces. U.S. Central Command told Fox News coalition troops have as many as 30 encounters a week with unmanned aerial vehicles. These drones are inexpensive ones modified to drop grenades or to surveil troop movements. - Read more at:

Meanwhile, those providing drone photography services, as well as anyone flying a drone to capture great footage for fun,should at all times pay heed to safety rules and regulations, and respect the privacy of others.

With the use of drones, anyone can photograph almost anything, but there should be guidelines to follow as to what can or cannot be photographed by drones, as this article discusses.

[…] there is no such code of conduct for the growing number of private and commercial entities that use drones, including news outlets, which are resisting even non-binding guidelines that might restrict access to the air. Here’s why we need such guidelines:Legalscholars argue that airspace is neither wholly private nor wholly public, but something in between. By resisting any privacy safeguards in this nebulous space, media organizations and their representatives may be facilitatingmassive violations of privacy by large corporations under the guise of protecting free speech.

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]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/2-signs-popularity-of-drones-continues-to-soar/feed/0Use of Deadly Drones by Cops Raises Fearshttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/use-of-deadly-drones-by-cops-raises-fears/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/use-of-deadly-drones-by-cops-raises-fears/#commentsSat, 01 Apr 2017 10:58:55 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1677If there is anything that would scare some people even more about seeing consumer drones flying over, it might be the thought that one of them could be carrying deadly […]

]]>If there is anything that would scare some people even more about seeing consumer drones flying over, it might be the thought that one of them could be carrying deadly weapons. And there is a possibility that Connecticut cops may use such drones.

Connecticut cops may become the first in the country to use drones armed with deadly weapons, if a controversial measure is passed. A bill that easily flew through the state’s Judiciary Committee 34-7 was sent to the House of Representatives, the New Haven Register reported. - Read more at:

The bill would ban the use of weaponized drones, but exempt police. Details on how law enforcement could use drones with weapons would be spelled out in rules to be developed by the state Police Officer Standards and Training Council. Officers also would have to receive training before being allowed to use drones with weapons. - Read more at:

Concerns have been raised about this.

If ratified, the new bill will go into effect in October, but agencies won’t be required to come up with a model policy of best use (which would identify, with specificity, when weaponized drones should be deployed) until January of next year. This provision is particularly concerning, effectively allowing police to shoot first and ask questions later. - Read more at:

Connecticut Democrats are not happy with the proposed legislation. In fact, Democratic state Sen. Edwin Gomes said, “I think that police are taught one thing: You put a weapon in their hand, they shoot center mass, they shoot to kill.” […] And Scot X. Esdaile, president of the Connecticut chapter of the NAACP, expressed “huge concerns” that weaponized drones could be used to “abuse our communities.” - Read more at:

There is a need for a thorough study and consultations on the proposed bill, given the public’s general distrust or fear of drones, having been associated with the military killer drones. As it is, some cannot still warm up to civilian drones flown for personal fun, or for commercial advantage, such as drone photography services, then more so with weaponized drones for cops.

As someone said, it starts with the best of intentions but as is often the case, it can be abused by some perverted individuals.

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]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/04/use-of-deadly-drones-by-cops-raises-fears/feed/0Photographer Shows Beauty of Drone Photographyhttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/photographer-shows-beauty-of-drone-photography/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/photographer-shows-beauty-of-drone-photography/#commentsFri, 31 Mar 2017 05:42:17 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1670Since the dawning of drones in the consumer world, aerial photography has never been the same, as you can see from these stunning shots taken by travel photographer Chase Guttman. […]

‘Drone photography is an incredibly exciting medium for the future and I just want to be a part of that future,’ the Manhattan native said. ‘Whether that’s talking to people about the potential that technology holds or continuing that visual storytelling with that technology.’

For Chase, this journey began with the original DJI Phantom, though his favorite go-to machine is the DJI Inspire 1 Pro. As he continued his travels, his drones began to accompany him. Over time, he amassed enough aerial images to create a book. – Read more at:

This is the description of Chase Guttman’s drone photography handbook:

The Handbook of Drone Photography will be the go-to manual for consumers wishing to harness the power of drones to capture stunning aerial photographs. This book covers everything one needs to choose the right drone, to get airborne, and to capture and share incredible content. With easy and straightforward instruction, the text will familiarize readers with their craft and its controls.

As shown by Chase, creativity, passion, desire to excel in this new art form in photography, are the ingredients to breathtaking drone shots.

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]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/photographer-shows-beauty-of-drone-photography/feed/0Charges Dismissed for Kentucky Drone Slayerhttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/charges-dismissed-for-kentucky-drone-slayer/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/charges-dismissed-for-kentucky-drone-slayer/#commentsTue, 28 Mar 2017 11:50:21 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1667Here is what happens when someone shoots down a drone, a risky act. When [a] Kentucky man realized a drone was hovering above his daughter while she sun bathed in […]

]]>Here is what happens when someone shoots down a drone, a risky act.

When [a] Kentucky man realized a drone was hovering above his daughter while she sun bathed in the backyard he made what seems to be a perfectly rational decision… He shot it down. […] The police arrested the homeowner soon afterward. - Read more at:

An important reminder for anyone is to never ever shoot down a drone, for whatever reason you have. Why?

According to the FAA “regardless of the situation, shooting at any aircraft — including unmanned aircraft — poses a significant safety hazard. An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash, causing damage to persons or property on the ground, or it could collide with other objects in the air. ” - Read more at:

The judge in the case, however, found that William H. Merideth had done nothing wrong, and has dismissed all charges. – Read more at:

So this development raises the question of airspace rights. The ruling now means the lingering question as to whether American federal law recognizes the concept of aerial trespass will have to wait for another day, according to a report by Ars Technica.

Senior US District Judge Thomas B. Russell was effectively asked to rule whether the flight over Merideth’s property constituted aerial trespassing — a decision that could’ve arguably set a precedent for any similar cases in the future. Though airspace is under federal regulation, Russell reasoned that as the foundation of the case was a claim for damages, it was a matter for Kentucky state law. - Read more at:

It should be clear that “drones do not just trespass by themselves; it is their owners/operators who do,” according to James Davis of The Droneologist. Drones are not to be the target of lawmakers or people who want their privacy respecte. Instead, erring drone users or owners should be made to answer for their failure to follow regulations. They give drones a bad impression through their recklessness, so put the emerging drone industry at risk as well.

Concerned that the increasing popularity of drones could threaten public safety, San Diego officials plan to join a small group of cities across the nation trying to crack down on irresponsible users. […] The proposed legislation mirrors drone regulations created by the Federal Aviation Administration, in contrast to some other cities that have gone beyond the FAA rules in trying to protect privacy rights. – Read more at:

]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/charges-dismissed-for-kentucky-drone-slayer/feed/0Underwater Drone Technology Applicationshttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/underwater-drone-technology-applications/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/underwater-drone-technology-applications/#commentsWed, 22 Mar 2017 13:12:05 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1663Underwater drones are normally used by the military as a warfare tool. But these unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) are also used for ship hull inspection (Bluefin[4]), nuclear reactor decontamination, exploration, […]

]]>Underwater drones are normally used by the military as a warfare tool. But these unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) are also used for ship hull inspection (Bluefin[4]), nuclear reactor decontamination, exploration, and mining/drilling.

One of these UUVs is the Bluefin-21. The Bluefin-21 is an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) developed by Bluefin Robotics for defence, commercial or scientific use. It found its most famous use in April 2014 in the search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. - See more here:

Underwater drones are playing an increasingly important role in several industries and constantly impacting underwater operations. Fortunately, operational intelligence (OI) technology can help to ensure drone safety and provide unprecedented data insight above and under water. The technology ensures safety and efficiency for multiple operations by aggregating various data sources to provide greater situational awareness. - Read more at:

A report by The Verge says underwater drones began operating in the 1950s, and today there are 250 different configurations in service, according to Bard Center for Study of the Drone.

In addition to these applications, some underwater drones are already being designed for use of consumers. Two such examples are the iBubble and the SeaDrone, both of which can be installed with smart cameras for amazing underwater videos or photography.

This new category of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is highly portable and intuitive to operate. What really sets them apart, however, is their price. Most of those described here […] sell for $1,200 or less.

]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/underwater-drone-technology-applications/feed/0New Underwater Drones Make a Splashhttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/new-underwater-drones-make-a-splash/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/new-underwater-drones-make-a-splash/#commentsWed, 22 Mar 2017 10:23:53 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1656Aerial drones will soon be sharing the spotlight with their underwater counterparts, as more and more take the plunge into the drone consumer market. Underwater drones are basically submarines, […]

]]>Aerial drones will soon be sharing the spotlight with their underwater counterparts, as more and more take the plunge into the drone consumer market.

Underwater drones are basically submarines, but they operate without any humans in it, so they are called unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV). These vehicles may be divided into two categories, remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs), which are controlled by a remote human operator, and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which operate independently of direct human input.

Ziphius is one of the growing number of underwater drones already in the market

The 3-kg (6.6-lb) drone is being made in Standard and Advanced models, both of which come with a 30-m (98-ft) tether running up to a Wi-Fi-equipped buoy that’s towed along at the surface. This means that the tether doesn’t have to reach all the way from the Gladius to the operator. A longer 100-m (328-ft) cable is available as an upgrade, allowing the drone to travel farther from its buoy, and/or to dive deeper – its maximum dive depth is 100 meters. - Read more at:

The Gladius is basically a remote-controlled submarine with a 4K camera that can dive to 100 meters.[…] It’s designed to be deployed from the beach but you can dump it into the sea from anywhere. It costs $599 for early birds and the 4K model costs $799. It has “four degrees of freedom” which means you can dive deep to meet a turtle or a fridge. - Read more at:

On the financial side, one underwater drone company is going public in the Australian stock market.

US-based underwater drone startup Aquabotix is headed Down Under, raising up to $7 million through an initial public offering on the ASX to catapult its growth in the Asia-Pacific region. It joins a growing list of foreign companies on the exchange, but unlike most small-cap tech stocks that have listed in the past few years, Aquabotix is already profitable and says it does not need the capital to be a sustainable business. - Read more at:

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]]>http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/new-underwater-drones-make-a-splash/feed/0Why Drones Bring More Benefits than Harmhttp://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/why-drones-bring-more-benefits-than-harm/
http://www.thedroneologist.com/2017/03/why-drones-bring-more-benefits-than-harm/#commentsFri, 17 Mar 2017 03:33:07 +0000http://www.thedroneologist.com/?p=1652Despite some sectors’ wariness of drones, due to concerns of safety, privacy and others, civilian drones are shown to bring more and more benefits to human society. Image Source A […]

A drone that can fly into the world’s deepest crevasses could help save the lives of mountaineers. Swiss company Flyability said its robot, called Elios, can reach places too dangerous for humans. – Read more at:

Researchers at Ocean Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to conservation efforts, are using drones capture the breathtaking image with aerial photography — as well as the genetic material in petri dishes. Ocean Alliance created the “Snotbot,” a drone they designed to capture both images of the whales and live biological samples of the “snot” the animals exhale through their blow holes. – Read more at:

Emirati postgraduate student Talib Alhinai is, quite literally, flying high. He will shortly present his drone research to members of British parliament […] “Drones have immense potential to be used for good, to help with agriculture and farming, search and rescue and construction. My interest in them was piqued when I learnt how drone swarms can rapidly build shelters for survivors of natural disasters such as tsunamis and earthquakes.” – Read more at:

The above are only some of the growing list of benefits of consumer and commercial drones. Real estate marketers and events organizers realize the economic gain of their drone photography services.

Some hobbyists buy drones for the sheer joy and challenge of flying an object in the sky, but the biggest thrill for many is capturing spectacular high-quality photographs and video from an aerial vantage point. – Read more at:

On the other hand, things go wrong for drone users who are mindless of safety and privacy rules and regulations. Just like what happened to one such operator.

A prying drone operator was taught a valuable lesson in respecting people’s privacy after nearly having their expensive gadget shot out of the sky.[…]The woman, who doesn’t take too kindly to being bothered by the voyeuristic operator, first tries to get rid of the drone by throwing a couple of rocks at it […]When the drone operators fails to get the message, the woman returns to her back porch with a gun and takes aim.

As James Davis of The Droneologist stresses, “Drones don’ t spy on people; people spy on people.”

Indeed, it’s reckless, irresponsible drone operators that give a negative impression of drones, which when used properly, are more for the good than the bad.

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